Ashes of the Forgotten
by Legendary Eyeball
Summary: This is a Resident Evil Nemisis based story I did for my creative writing class. enjoy?¿


**Chapter 1**

**A Day to Remember**

It all began as an ordinary day in September, an ordinary day, in Raccoon City. A city controlled by Umbrella. No one dared to oppose them, and that lack of strength ultimately led to their downfall. As the unstoppable viral outbreak caused by Umbrella's biological experiments swept over the city, the civilians could only suffer.

_Farewell to my home…_

_Farewell to my life…_

_This is my last chance for survival…_

_This is my, last escape…_

The aroma of brimstone and singed flesh still lingers in the air. The ashes of the forgotten ones flutter carelessly in a whirlwind around me. The results of my blackouts are always the same. Against all odds, I always manage to walk away unharmed. At the same time, I leave behind a street full of bodies.

The moans of the relentless are getting closer. Soon…they'll find me. I need to leave town before I become one of them. I grabbed a shotgun out of a charred patrol car and started walking. Where to now… I guess the police station would be a good start. Maybe there's a cop still alive. If not, there's always ammunition and weapons that can be salvaged.

It took less than five minutes for one of the zombies to find me. Hunched over and drooling, it stared me down. Their facial expression is always the same. Void of vitality and sympathy, they're only driven by one thing, hunger. Scream all you want, it won't save you. However, a shotgun to the face will end their rampage in an instant.

Low on ammunition, I ran for the main gate of the RPD with mutant hounds right behind me. It seems like anything that comes in contact with the virus changes almost instantly. So much for man's best friend…

**Chapter 2**

**No Survivors**

_Daylight…_

_The Monsters have overtaken the city…_

_Somehow…_

_I'm still alive…_

I gripped the blood drenched door of the Raccoon Police Department. A shred of flesh slid slowly down the door frame. Slowly, I looked back at the courtyard that had become a battlefield. Imagine stuffing a herd of cattle into a wood chipper. The body count was greater here then anywhere else in the city. Decaying bodies of officers and civilians filled the air. Just one breath, would turn the strongest stomach. It's a smell I'll never forget…

The lobby was worse then the courtyard. Which made me wonder, if anyone was still alive? I managed to find a .357 magnum and two .45 clips under one of the bodies. From where I was standing, I could see five doors on the first floor and three on the second floor balcony. I started my pointless search with the door closest to the exit. I cracked it as gently as I could and peek inside. It was a hallway

From what I could see, it was deserted. The lights were constantly flickering on and off. I clicked back the hammer of the revolver and aimed it forward, expecting a surprise. I peered around the corner as the lights went off again. In the center of the tile floor was a puddle of blood. Nothing I haven't seen already… There were multiple skid marks coming from the puddle. Someone must have been dragged…

I followed the path as the lights started flickering again. The path ended at a body heaped over in a corner. It was an S.T.A.R.S. officer. To see a member of the special tactics and rescue squad half eaten to death was more than I could bear. He was still alive and was aiming his .45 at my head. I tried to call out to him, "Wait, I'm human. Don't –"

"Go away! Leave me alone! "

"I want to help you, just – "

"No…you can't help me now, but I can help you…"

"How…"

"You're a S.T.A.R.S. member right? Get out of here while you can…you're being watched…"

Blood began to drip on my outstretched arm. I dared myself not to look up, but curiosity and fear won. Clinging to the ceiling twelve feet above my head was a muscular creature with an exposed brain. The beast opened his mouth and out came a tongue four times his body length. He started licking the blood off my arm and face.

I can't move…I can't even blink…I forgot how to. The officer lying on the floor fired a shot that caused the creature to detach from the ceiling and fall on me. His claws dug into my arms. I struggled to reach my gun, but before I could a shot broke through the window. It split the creature's skull in half and ricocheted to kill the officer. Someone just saved my life…

**Chapter 3**

**A Friend or a Stalker**

_It's only a flesh wound…_

Blood running down my arm, I staggered to my feet. I had to find out where the shot came from. As my arms began to burn, I retraced my steps to the lobby. If anyone is still alive, they're on there own. I made it to the front door when I heard something behind me groan, "Stars…" Standing on the second floor balcony behind me was a massive zombie.

At first, he didn't move, just stood there watching me. He was at least 7-8 feet tall. Random blood veins covered his muscular body, but battered body armor covered almost 75 of it. He was definitely a mutant. In one hand he held a black weapon, but I couldn't tell what it was. Maybe…he is the one who saved me?

As he let out a battle cry, I fired a shot that hit his right eye. Nothing happened, the bullet didn't faze him. Before I could unload the rest of my ammo into him, three more of those licking creatures appeared. I guess I woke them up, lucky me. At the screech of the crawlers, the armored tyrant broke through the roof and leaped off.

The burning in my arms got worse. The gashes began to crush over and heal almost instantly. Once the burning stopped, my arms burst into blue flames and the last image I remember is a crawler leaping off the wall…

**Chapter 4**

**Guardian Angel**

I woke to the sound of falling rain and that all-to-familiar aroma of decay. Just as before, everything is burning and ashes fill the air. Only this time, there is a man holding a Steyr .50 cal sniper rifle standing over me.

"Are you alright?"

"What…what happened…"

"You tell me," he exclaimed, "I've never seen someone explode and live to tell about it!"

"…explode…what?"

"I'll explain later. We have to get out of here."

He helped me to my feet and I limped to the courtyard. When we got to the front steps, I sat down on the only spot not covered in blood. The ringing in my ears faded away, and I took a closer look at the stranger kneeling beside me. Strapped to his back was the custom sniper rifle he was holding a minute ago. In one hand he held a custom made suppressed .45 pistol with a LAM and tactical light attachment. Holstered to his sides were dual MP5K sub machine guns.

"Wow, you don't play when it comes to firepower!"

He chuckled, "I guess you don't either. I've been watching you. I love a woman that can handle a .357."

"Wait, where is my gun?"

"Here, take mine."

He handed me his custom .45.

"I'm sorry, I never introduced myself. I'm James, My friends call me Eyeball."

"Eyeball…okay. I'm Ashley."

"Ashley…it's a beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

I smiled.

**Chapter 5**

**Escape Plan**

"We need to get out of town."

"No, let's stay and feed the birds," I said sarcastically.

"Trust me, you don't won't to do that, they're infected too."

"What isn't," I mumbled. "Hey, did you notice anything jumping from the roof right before I…you know?"

"I can't say that I did. I had a little encounter before I found you. More of those lickers were coming in through – "

"Lickers…," I asked curiously.

"That's what I call the creature that attacked you in the hall."

"Clever name, I love that long tongue they have."

I shook a little bit. Bad memories…

"Thanks for saving me. I wish that shot wouldn't have killed the cop too."

"He was as good as dead. Once you're bitten, there's no turning back."

"James, what is going on in this town?"

"I don't know much, only that Umbrella is the cause of it."

"Umbrella…"

"Apparently, they unleashed some virus in the sewers and the rats were the first to be infected. Pure stupidity, I stopped caring when my team was pointlessly eaten in front of me."

"So that would make you…a merc?"

"Basically…I prefer free lance solider, but mercenary works too."

"So…what is the plan?"

"Alright…on the outskirts of the city there's a gate that leads to my hunting club. About three miles down a dirt road there's a cabin by a river. Tied to a dock, I have pontoon boat that we can use to cruise the river. The river runs for miles. Eventually we'll find somewhere safe."

The plan seemed easy enough. The only problem is how to get to the cabin alive.

"It's a long way to the city limits. Think we have enough bullets to fight a war against the city."

He laughed and said, "I have something better that ammo, follow me…"

**Chapter 6**

**Rampage**

_There is only one way to survive the horror…_

Stashed in a nearby garage was James's modified Ford F-150. Black as night, this truck was definitely intimidating. The .50 caliber machine gun mounted on the roof caught my eye first.

"James…you and .50 cal weapons…I swear…"

"I love firepower baby," he said with a smirk.

The truck also had a raised suspension, thirty-eight inch mud tires, a reinforced frame, and a plow. Welded to the sides, tailgate, and cab were sheet metal plates and barbed wire. Along with a cage welded around the bed to protect the gunner.

"You had fun preparing this truck for war didn't you?"

"You bet I did. Hop in, and lets get out of here."

I climbed over the cage and loaded the machine gun while James leaped into the cab NASCAR style. Hang on tight, this isn't a Sunday drive. He cranked the engine, revved it twice, and peeled out. The city was flooded with zombies. I have to admit, I had fun on our killing rampage. I abused the gun while James plowed through the unlimited zombie population. Along the way, a new creature appeared in the rear view.

At first, I didn't see it as a threat, only a target. Once the gun began to over heat, I started to worry. When the hunched back creature got closer I heard James scream, "No, not a leaper. Ashley, watch out!" The creature squealed and leapt toward the truck. Its claws made contact with the cage, and left a gash in the sheet metal. The gun was jammed, so I pulled out the .45 James gave me and fired seven shots at the beast. Amazingly, it managed to dodge each shot. I reloaded and waited for it to approach again. This time when it leapt, I shot it five times in mid air. The leaper hit the ground hard and rolled into a trash can.

"Nice shot," James said, "we're almost to the bridge. See if you can fix the gun, we might need soon…"

"I'll try. Maybe we should give the plow a bath. We might need it soon too…"

We both laughed.

**Chapter 7**

**Back for More**

The highway was packed with abandoned vehicles and corpses. James laughed and said, "Who needs roads when you can go off-road?"

"How far is it to your cabin?"

"It is a few miles past the main gate."

He veered onto a dirt road that led under the main bridge leading out of the city. When he turned the corner I saw the gate he was talking about. I muttered, "Not exactly hidden is it."

"It doesn't need to be."

He stopped five feet from it and got out of the cab. In his hand he held a small gold key. With it, he opened the padlock and swung the gate open. "Welcome to my hunting club."

"Finally…"

"Lets get a move on, there is no time to waste – "

"STARS..."

Standing on the bridge behind us was my stalker from the police station. It let out another battle cry and aimed a rocket launcher at us. "What the – "

"We have to get out of here now," I screamed.

Before we could climb back into the truck, the tyrant fired a RPG shell that struck a tree only three feet from the truck. What is that monster – "

"Watch out – "

It fired a second shot, only this time, it hit the truck.

The explosion sent James flying, but he recovered. I took off into the woods as soon as I could. James followed close behind, until the tyrant started chasing after us. He suggested we split up to try and loose him. It worked, but there was only one problem. I was lost…

**Chapter 8**

**Safe at Last**

I followed the trail for hours until my knees gave out and I had to find a place to rest. Luckily, it was a full moon. I could see a clearing ahead and hidden in the bushes was a shooting house. Exhausted, I stumbled inside and plopped down into the chair. It was a peaceful night. It is a relief to hear nature chirping instead of relentless undead moans. I wouldn't have thought it would be this easy to get lost. I probably followed the wrong trail when I panicked.

I lost track of time. As the sun went down, so did my eyes. Just as started to doze off, my foot bumped against a rifle case. Lucky for me, the rifle was still inside. It was a 30-30 lever action rifle. It is not as powerful as James's, but it is better than nothing. I slept with it in my arms. My dream was soon interrupted by a bright light in my eyes.

It was James. "There you are. I've been searching for you for hours. I see you found my old friend."

"James…"

"Ashley…"

"What happened, did that monster follow you?"

"No, he followed you. I don't know where he is at now, but we need to head to my cabin. It is about a four minute walk from here."

"Lead the way…"

We stayed off the trail. Apparently, there are tripwires and landmines placed along it. After a short stroll we arrived at his cabin, or should I say bunker. Defense was one strategy James didn't take lightly. Sandbags, trenches, and machine gun emplacements protect the perimeter. It reminded me of his truck, covered in barbed wire and blood. "Watch your steps," he warned, "the trail isn't the only place booby trapped."

"Wow…where did you get all of this?"

"Well…there are several military outposts surrounding the city. They're stationed about two miles out on every road leading into the city. Most of them have been overrun. That's where I find my heavy weaponry."

"What else do you have stashed that I haven't seen yet," I asked.

"Well," he said with a smile, "I'll show you."

I followed him around the side of the cabin. Hidden underneath a camouflaged tarp was a beautiful M1 tank.

"Wow…you've got to be – "

"Nope, what you're staring at is a real M1 tank. It is fully functional. I managed to rip the machine gun off and mount it on my truck…which…"

"Yeah, I know…"

"Well, it needs to be refueled, but that's not a problem. I have extra fuels drums in the basement."

"Worry about it in the morning, "I yawned, "I need to get some sleep. Do you have a bed in that bunker?"

"Of course, I have every comfort of home…"

**Chapter 9**

**Redemption**

_This time…I didn't wake to that smell…_

The smell of bacon lingered in my room. I walked into the kitchen and found James making breakfast. "Good morning sleeping beauty." He smiled at me. I smiled back. "How did you sleep," he asked.

"Peacefully, so…what's for breakfast?"

"Bacon and eggs, eat as much as you want. Today is the big day."

"James…"

"What is it Ashley?"

"What are you hoping to find? I mean, this place seems safe enough. Why can't we hide here for awhile?"

"I'll admit I'm going to miss this place, but I believe that there is somewhere safer for us. I've spent years making this prime hunting land, and now the deer are hunting me. You have no idea what kind of mutant creatures I've seen running through these woods – "

"STARS…"

"Please tell me I didn't hear that."

"If came from the back yard," James whispered.

As I feared, it was the tyrant. He was in the back yard, standing on top of the tank. "What are we going to do now," I asked.

"We can still use the boat. I stocked it full of weapons and supplies. Here, take the key. Start the boat, and I'll meet you by the dock in a minute. I'll distract him for you."

"Wait, you can't kill him, I've tried. Just – "

"Don't worry about me. I'm not going to try to kill him – "

"STARS…"

"Hurry, go now!"

James grabbed a couple of grenades out of the cabinet while I ran for the front door. When I halfway down the hall I turned around and saw him chuck a nade out of the kitchen window. That was a bad idea, or maybe not. The explosion triggered the landmines in the yard and that combined explosion was enough to faze the tyrant. He jumped to his feet and ran out the back door.

I made it to the dock, but there was no sign of James. I heard another explosion. He must still be playing with my stalker. I pulled the gold key out of my pocket and hopped in the boat. Before I could start the engine I saw James running down the hill toward me with the tyrant right behind him. "Start the boat," he screamed. I managed to get the engine going just as James jumped in the back. "Go, go, go…"

We made it! We were in the center of the river before the tyrant reached the shoreline. James grabbed a rifle out of the storage compartment and fired-off countless rounds at him. When he ran out of ammo, James dropped to his knees and cried, "Thank God!"

"Well, that nightmare is over…"

"STARS…"

The tyrant was running along the shoreline trying to keep up. When I thought we were about to loose him, he stopped. He equipped the rocket launcher from his back and fired a shot at the boat. He missed, but the shockwave was enough to knock me off, and I landed in the river. The water was freezing, but I was soon lifted out by the beast himself. He used a tentacle tearing through his palm to lift me out of the water and slam me against a tree.

The world was spinning. I lost all feeling in my legs when he threw me for the second time. I couldn't move. I didn't forget how, I just couldn't. He approached slowly. I lost all hope, until I saw my legs. They were engulfed in a blue flame. I knew what this meant. I only hope it will be enough to kill him…

**Chapter 10**

**Why?**

Who ever said ashes were gray. As normal life decays…maybe so, but this is far from normal. The ashes from the tyrant were as red as the blood he drew when he struck me against the tree. Was that my purpose…if I have one? To kill an unstoppable behemoth with a power I can't understand. Maybe it was, but at least its peaceful now…

The wounds have healed just like before. It's incredible, and it makes me wonder how far I can go before it never happens again. I found the boat. It was flipped over on the shoreline. If James had been underwater at the time he may have survived. I couldn't find a body in the wreckage. I couldn't find one anywhere. All I could find were his dog tags. A thought crossed my mind. Maybe…the ashes were…

There are so many questions left unanswered. Maybe he was right. Maybe this place isn't as safe as I thought. Maybe there is a safe place somewhere. Hopefully…I can still escape this nightmare…somehow…

Ashes of the Forgotten

By

Chris Hines


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